Seniors - Research and Data from KFF

Medicare Part D in 2024: A First Look at Prescription Drug Plan Availability, Premiums, and Cost Sharing

Nov 8, 2023

Issue Brief

Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage is available for people with Medicare who enroll in private plans, either a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) for people in traditional Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage plan that covers all Medicare benefits, including prescription drugs (MA-PD). This issue brief provides an overview of Part D plan availability and premiums in 2024 and key trends over time.

Overall Satisfaction with Medicare is High, But Beneficiaries Under Age 65 With Disabilities Experience More Insurance Problems Than Older Beneficiaries

Oct 26, 2023

Issue Brief

This brief analyzes data from the 2023 KFF Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance to get a current understanding of how Medicare is working for older adults and younger people with disabilities. The analysis shows that people with Medicare who are under 65 with disabilities experience more problems using their Medicare coverage, including access and cost-related problems, than beneficiaries who are 65 and older.

Payment Rates for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services: States’ Responses to Workforce Challenges

Oct 24, 2023

Issue Brief

In response to long-standing workforce challenges in home- and community-based services, states have reported increasing Medicaid payment rates, providing more education and training or leveraging other strategies to recruit and retain workers.

In Response to Home-Care Workforce Shortages, Most States Report Increasing Medicaid’s Payment Rates and Expanding Worker Opportunities

Oct 24, 2023

News Release

Almost every state reported increasing Medicaid payment rates for home- and community-based services to recruit and retain workers as part of their strategy to address long-standing workforce challenges, according to a new report from a survey of state officials administrating those programs. Most states also report developing or expanding worker education and training programs and offering incentive payments to recruit or retain workers. All surveyed states reported shortages of care workers and most (43 states)…

How Medicare’s New Drug Price Negotiation Program Could Expand Access to Selected Drugs

Sep 26, 2023

Issue Brief

This brief examines how Part D enrollees’ access to and utilization of the first set of 10 selected drugs could be affected by the new Part D coverage and formulary requirements for selected drugs established by the Inflation Reduction Act and in CMS guidance, as well as the potential for lower out-of-pocket costs.

End of Pandemic-Era Policies in Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Could Challenge Family Caregivers and Enrollees

Sep 19, 2023

News Release

Family caregivers played a key role in supporting people who used Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) during the COVID pandemic. Many states used new pandemic-era authorities to support and pay family caregivers and maintain services in other ways amid workforce shortages and other challenges. Now, several states are ending payments to family caregivers and unwinding other pandemic-era policies, which could complicate ongoing workforce shortages and create new challenges for enrollees, according to survey of…

Pandemic-Era Changes to Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS): A Closer Look at Family Caregiver Policies

Sep 19, 2023

Issue Brief

Drawing from KFF’s 50-state survey of state Medicaid HCBS officials, conducted between May and August of 2023, this issue brief describes how states used the PHE authorities to strengthen their HCBS programs, changes as the PHE ends, and the role of family caregivers in providing HCBS.

About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Currently Meet Proposed Requirements for Nursing Staff Hours

Sep 18, 2023

News Release

Eighty-one percent of nursing facilities would need to hire additional staff to comply with new nursing staff requirements that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed earlier this month, according to a new analysis from KFF. Under the proposed rule, 19% of nursing facilities would currently meet the minimum staff hours for registered nurses and nurse aides.A smaller share of for-profit facilities would meet the proposed staffing requirements. Compared to 60% of non-profit…

What Share of Nursing Facilities Might Meet Proposed New Requirements for Nursing Staff Hours?

Sep 18, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief analyzes the percentage and characteristics of facilities that would meet the rule’s proposed requirements for the minimum number of RN and nurse aide hours to better understand the implications of the rule.

How Many People Use Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports and How Much Does Medicaid Spend on Those People?

Aug 14, 2023

Issue Brief

KFF examines how many Medicaid enrollees used Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) for aging, illness, or disability in 2020, how much Medicaid spent on these enrollees, and policy issues to watch in the coming years.

Topics

Policy Research

Polling

Health News

Data & Features

For Media

About

View the Latest: Seniors

Filter